Starcruiser 1

[Devilfish]

I recently won this on E-bay.  It's a kit I've wanted since I was a kid, and finally got round to getting.



For anyone that doesn't know, it was a ship initially designed by the Gerry Anderson crew for a folllow on show to Space 1999, but never picked up. Look-in magazine had a comic strip about it, but thats about it.
Airfix brought out this snap together kit in the late 70's (78 according to the moulds).
Having looked it up on the web, it appears that the original design was much biggger.  This is born out by the fact that despite being 1/48th scale, it's tiny.....
Also, to give it "playability" it has forgone any sense of "reality of systems" that the larger original would have had. 
For example, there is no way the crew could have moved between sections as the mating surfaces are too small to allow docking hatches.
The Command section, even allowing for advanced future designs, wouldn't have had room to fit any flight control or motor systems....
And the "laboratory"....well!!!

Anyway, this leaves me with a dilemma.  To accurise it, I can either, scale it down to say, 1/72, or I can make the relevant sections bigger.

The first option is obviously the easiest.....so I'm going for the second!  Mainly because I like 1/48.  A lot of my planes are that scale.

So, here's the plan.  I'll take each section at a time, as a unit in itself, and enlarge it where I feel it would benefit, but hopefully still keep the look and feel of the original. 
Docking ports will be added. 
More realistic propulsion will be added too.
Finally, well, infact first, a back story will be thought of......more of that later.

First, the initial pictures....
The parts



Theres a few more floating around, but thats the bulk of them

Chosing a scale...
1/72


Prob best for ease, but I felt the pilot would look lost behind such a large screen

1/48

Much better fit, but need more room

Oh, and the original pilot...awful!!


The main part of the ship, with a 1/48 pilot for comparison

This will need both height and width increasing.  Will probably lengthen it too, to keep proportions right

Descision made....1/48
I'm going to cut out the original cockpits and build something more workmanlike.
Seats for the command module will come from a bit of real scifi...the TSR2


The interceptor will get a cockpit from an A-10.  Not decided on the other sections yet.  All I know is that the Lab section needs to be bigger and have a better track system.  And possibly a seperate exploration vehicle, as the original had....

[scooter]

Even just looking at the box art, there's no way in heck anyone could move around that ship, even in zero g.

[Weaver]

Cool - I had one as a kid too, and even then, I shared your reservations about it!

If I ever get one on ebay (not paying silly collector's prices) I'll go the opposite way and scaleorama it to 1/72nd.

There was another one wasn't there? Very large scale. The "base" ship had two octagonal tubes and a front end with clear domes all over it, then there was an Orion-esque ship that sat on top of it, and a little triangular shuttle on top of that...

EDIT: it was the "Cosmic Clipper".

[Devilfish]

Looking at it now, scaling it to 1/72 would make sense.  But I'm going to set this almost 100 years in the future, so I'll take it as read that computers will be much smaller and much more powerful. 

The command module will in this case be space faring only, unlike the the kit which gives it downward thrusters and landing feet.  Therefore only RCS and main power thrust is needed.

The main body is going to be greatly increased in mass.  This would need doing even in 1/72, as in all likelyhood, it would be the main cabin for the crew.  It also houses the main engines and fuel.....and food.....and breathing systems.....etc etc etc

The "pod", laboratory, whatever, is just a joke as it is.  Looking at the original, it was much bigger and contained a roving vehicle.   My plan is to enlarge it.  To make it a proper lab for planet analysis.  It will either have it's own tracks to move around, or it'll have a vehicle with it.

Lastly, the interceptor. My least favourite part.  A complete redesign I think....Not sure how yet!  I just hate it how it is now!

[Weaver]

You could give it a longer external engine/fuel section at the back (all tubes, spheres and struts), then use the "spare" skis from the Command Module to hold it up, thus making it 5-legged.

[Devilfish]

The current plan (always subject to change) is to build a seperate engine area, much like was on the Space 1999 Eagles.

[puddingwrestler]

Looks like something designed between UFO and Space:1999, before UFO's sequel series had morphed into Space:1999...

[Weaver]

Actually it started out as a post-Space:1999 design for a series that would be more "kiddie/educational" than high adventure. The original was bigger (a family lived in it) and lacked the interceptor (added by Airfix, presumable to give it a more macho air).

[Devilfish]

Just did a bit of cutting last night.





As you can see, I removed the original moulded in seats and have test fitted 1/48 TSR2 ejection seats.  I did trial fit some 1/72 ejection seats, but they looked lost it there....
The back wall will have to be moved further back to accomodate the pilots, but that's not a problem now.

[pyro-manic]

Good stuff! I can just hear the collectors howling in rage.

[Devilfish]

Good stuff! I can just hear the collectors howling in rage.

Models are made to be built, not collected! lol

[MiB]

When I was young, I had this kit, almost perfect (a little bit of glue, no painting..). Today, I don't know where is this kit (but I hated the useless Interceptor) but if I find now, maybe I'll modified in something more real

I'm very curious to see the Devilfish finished work 

[Rheged]

Good stuff! I can just hear the collectors howling in rage.

Let them howl!!  This is getting very interesting!

[nighthunter]

Good stuff! I can just hear the collectors howling in rage.

Models are made to be built, not collected! lol

Agreed!

[deathjester]

Good stuff! I can just hear the collectors howling in rage.

Models are made to be built, not collected! lol

Agreed!

No no no no!
...
you've got it all wrong...
...
That's why you buy THREE of EVERYTHING!!!!!!